The invention relates in general to fuzes and in particular to fuzes for munitions, such as hand grenades.
Conventional hand grenades typically include pyrotechnic based fuzes. In such a fuze, a firing pin strikes a primer to initiate the energetic chain. The primer ignites a delay mixture which after a set period of time ignites one or more successive energetic compounds to produce the explosive effect of the grenade.
However, these successive energetic compounds often include hazardous chemical compounds such as perchlorates and heavy metals. The presence of such compounds can have adverse effects on the environment and potentially impact compliance with environmental standards. Additionally, traditional pyrotechnic fuzes have systemic issues in the field related to insensitive munition compliance requirements. These fuzes contain energetic trains that are sensitive to impact stimuli such as bullet, fragmentation and shape charge effects. Primer cook off is an additional concern. These issues create potential hazards for users in both logistical and tactical configurations.
It has been a long desire to initiate grenades with an electronically operated fuze delay. This approach would provide several benefits over the traditional pyrotechnic based fuzes. Advantages of the electronic fuze could include greater reliability, reduced functional variability, specific and extremely consistent programmable delay times, less susceptibility to operational environment, reduced production quality issues, more environmentally friendly characteristics, increased compliance with insensitive munition requirements and increased user safety.
Past efforts to integrate electronic fuzes in grenades have been hampered by inadequate power supplies. To be suitable for use in a munition, the fuze must have a power supply which has shelf life longevity, functionality in extreme operational conditions, reliability, rapid rise time, insensitivity to electrostatic radiation and radio frequency; all while still being cost effective.
A need exists for a munition with an electronic fuze with a reliable and resilient power source which meets required operational needs.